[Gllug] VACANCY: Linux Systems Administrator / PHP Developer

[David L Neil Mailing list a/c]

David,

David Winter wrote:
> Thanks for all those who responded courteously. I'd just like to say  
> that I'm not just 'some recruiter', I actually work for the company  
> where the vacancy is. I took the time to check the FAQ and abide by  
> the job posting rules and didn't find anywhere saying postings  
> couldn't be made to the general list.

First word of first paragraph = name of your company.
First word of all informational paragraphs = "We".
QED!


> I've also attended many of the Gllug meetings before in the past, as  
> recent as February, at Westminster Uni (I used to be a student there),  
> so I'm not even just some random person who decided to join a Linux  
> mailing list as an opportunity to post a job.

The GLLUG lists have hundreds of 'lurkers' - presumed readers who rarely 
write or contribute - just like every other discussion list.


...

> Have to say I'm shocked at some of the responses this posting has had,  
> some of which I've found insulting, which, unfortunately, has made me  

Agreed.

The FAQ seems designed to prevent us being snowed-under by agencies 
taking 'free advertising', whilst enabling members to help each other. 
However the behavior you describe is very much like that worst-case 
scenario. If I see a job advert I might read it and/or delete it. If I 
have a question I know who to address (and it won't be the hundreds of 
folk on the list. Doh!). However when the list is inundated with a bunch 
of people criticising the original post(er), my Delete key wears out, ie 
the spam treatment!!! I might be irritated by the original poster 
'causing' the storm, but I think I'm more irritated by those making the 
storm (YMMV).

The original message, whether strictly legal or not, is a service to 
(some) members - obviously only those in that field. There's no way 
every, or even one, advert could appeal to all of us!

The whole-list critical replies serve no (group) purpose. (what is the 
definition of spam?)

A criticism, eg information omitted, is surely best discussed directly 
with the poster than with the WHOLE list?

Similarly, shouldn't a formal complaint be sent to the ListAdmins (see 
relevant web pages)?


> hesitant as to whether I'd want to attend further meet-ups because of  
> the people that may be attending them.

As one of the 'gang of four' who are organising meetings* this statement 
didn't please me. I'm sorry you weren't at the meeting on Saturday, 
because I invited discussion on this point (as requested/hinted). The 
topic didn't grow any legs! Those who are actively seeking work, are 
very keen to see 'adverts'. Those who are not, are happy with the 
FAQ/list rules. However, at the meeting, there was no groundswell of 
movement for change.
* disclosure - also 'advert' inviting suggestions!?

When inviting (main) speakers, I struggle to describe GLLUG. It is very 
difficult to encapsulate and words like 'amorphous' can only be 
illuminated by suggesting that there are numerous interests within the 
LUG. Indeed as time has gone by, the purpose of LUGs has changed and 
indeed the "Linux" seems to be broadening into "FOSS" (or similar). The 
more people I talk to and ask their interests, and interests in meeting 
topics, the hazier any 'definition' of GLLUG becomes and the broader the 
scope...

A short while back the list membership numbers were published. It was 
immediately obvious that there are many people on [GLLUG-Announce] who 
are not also on [GLLUG]; indicating that there are some who use 'the 
list' as their primary membership benefit and others who are (perhaps 
only) interested in meetings (to identify but two 'groups').

Thus those who turn up to meetings are substantially NOT the same people 
who post to, or even read, [GLLUG]!

Indeed there was at least a 50% difference in those who attended this 
last meeting compared to those present at the previous, by my observation.


> David Winter

Regards,
=dn
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